On-the-fly photoresist exposure apparatus

Claim 1

An on-the-fly exposure system for exposing surfaces coated with photoresist materials comprising a dye laser source of electromagnetic energy capable of lasing at a wavelength to which the photoresist is highly sensitive, a synchronization means operable in combination with said laser source to provide pulses of electromagnetic energy from the laser source at predetermined times while the photoresist is in continuous motion relative to the laser, said pulses having a duration of less than about 250 nanoseconds, an optical projection system having an object plane, an image plane, a first optical system for projecting a substantially uniform spatial distribution of electromagnetic energy from said laser onto said object plane, said first optical system including an integrator means, and a second optical system for imaging said object plane onto said image plane, a movable support surface for supporting said photoresist coated surface in the image plane and for continuously moving the photoresist coated surface in the image plane in response to a set of commands from the synchronization means, and means to provide a pattern in the object plane limiting the spatial distribution of energy reaching the image plane.